Creative Europe Desk UK says conditions for co-productions in the UK need to be strengthened

Creative Europe Desk UK has selected 18 producers to take part in a two-day lab that will see international industry experts take them through the basics of putting a co-production together.

A recent report published by the BFI Commission for UK Independent Film highlighted a drop in the number of official international co-productions and recommended that the conditions for co-productions in the UK be strengthened.

Agnieszka Moody, director of Creative Europe Desk UK, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing this event to Leeds and to see such a strong appetite for international collaboration from an exciting crop of UK producers. This workshop is a very practical way of responding to a real need from the sector as only a few producers can be selected or have the opportunity to enrol on Creative Europe-supported training programmes. We want to help the collaborative creative links between the UK and the rest of Europe endure the turbulence of Brexit, to give UK producers the tools necessary to engage with their European counterparts and to demonstrate the UK’s commitment to co-production.”

Organised by BFI’s Creative Europe Desk UK in partnership with Screen Yorkshire and EAVE, the lab will be held from 14 to 15 September. Sessions include support for producers on matters relating to contracts, legal agreements and sources of finance.

Among the chosen producers are Anna Griffin, a producer working with Wellington Films; triple BAFTA-winning feature film producer, Diarmid Scrimshaw; Hannah Stevenson who produced comedy feature Eaten by Lions; Jack Tarling from Shudder Films who produced God’s Own Country; London-based producer Patrick Michael Campbell; Paula Vaccaro from Pinball London; and Wendy Griffin, founder of Selkie Productions.

Speakers include EAVE’s Head of Studies Lise Lense-Møller and producers Bertrand Faivre (The Bureau) and Bruno Wagner (coop99 Filmproduktion), who will provide a case study of recent Cannes award winner Little Joe, a co-production directed by Jessica Hausner and backed by the BFI.

Also sharing their experiences of co-producing with European partners are producers Christine Alderson (This Beautiful Fantastic), Samm Haillay (Island of Hungry Ghosts) and Sean Wheelan from Swedish co-producers Filmgate Films.

Christopher Halliday from the BFI’s certification unit, Hugo Heppell, head of investments at Screen Yorkshire, and Katie Ellen, senior manager, international at the BFI will also join the speaker line-up.